“This is an exciting time in education, with the coalition government looking to present greater choice, flexibility and autonomy to schools and colleges.

"In recent weeks, we’ve started to see announcements about IGCSEs and the removal of entitlement, and it’s already clear centres will have the flexibility to take a different approach to their decision-making on qualifications provision. We welcome this new approach, and will make available the widest choice of qualifications to meet the varied needs of learners.

"Diplomas are a key part of our suite of qualifications. From the outset, we built our Diploma offer on providing the highest quality specifications and an unrivalled level of service. We remain committed to working with you and all Diploma centres to provide the comprehensive level of support for teaching, learning and administration that you have come to expect.

"We will continue to provide further materials and events to support our Diploma offer. There will be a series of major Network events in October, a full Diploma national training programme for 2010/11, additional exemplar materials, and a new CD-ROM, available in October, will incorporate materials for all lines of learning, functional skills and Project.

"We want to ensure we continue to meet your needs in relation to Diploma delivery, and we look forward to working closely with you during this time of change and opportunity so that we fully understand your needs and those of your learners.”